2003 MERCURY MARAUDER Complaints

THE CAR BUMP STEERS. HAVE TAKEN IT TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THEY CHECKED EVERYTHING BUT FOUND NOTHING WRONG BUT ALSO STATED THAT IF THEY DID FIND ANYTHING WRONG IT WOULDN'T BE COVERED BY WARRENTY.

WHILE PARKED, THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS NOT IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION AND NOTHING STRUCK THE REAR WINDOW. *SC *JB

THE VEHICLE WAS WASHED AND FUELED AGAINST CUSTOMER?S REPEATED REQUESTS. SIGNIFICANT (ADDITIONAL) CLEAR COAT ABRASION DAMAGE TO PAINTED BODY SURFACES AND TRIM. VEHICLE?S ENGINE KNOCKED FOR THE DURATION OF THE TANK, SUGGESTING THAT IT WAS FUELED WITH REGULAR, NOT PREMIUM FUEL THE VEHICLES FUEL GAUGE CLEARLY READS, PREMIUM FUEL ONLY. IMMEDIATE MECHANICAL FAILURES: WITHIN THE FIRST 24 HOURS OF OWNERSHIP, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED THREE SYSTEM FAILURES. POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. OVERDRIVE INDICATOR LIGHT CONSTANTLY FLASHING. POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE SENSOR REQUIRES REPLACEMENT. RADIATOR FAN DEFECTIVE REQUIRES REPLACEMENT. SUBSEQUENTLY, OTHER MECHANICAL ANOMALIES APPEARED: TRANSMISSION ANOMALY OCCURRING REPEATABLE. CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM BEHAVING ERRATICALLY. IRREPARABLE CLEAR COAT AND PAINT DAMAGE: SEVERE AMOUNT OF CLEAR COAT DAMAGE TO NEARLY 100% OF THE VEHICLES EXTERIOR. ALTHOUGH A FEW SURFACE SCRATCHES MIGHT BE EXPECTED WITH ANY NEW VEHICLE, THE VOLUME AND SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE TO THIS VEHICLE IS BEYOND ANYTHING I COULD HAVE IMAGINED IN A NEW CAR. HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTO IMAGES ARE ATTACHED WHICH DEPICT ALL DEFECTS DESCRIBED BELOW. TEN OR MORE DEEP, IRREPARABLE, CONCENTRATED BURN MARKS, CAUSED BY OVER-BUFFERING, ARE LOCATED ON THE HOOD, DRIVERS DOOR, AND THE DRIVER?S-SIDE REAR DOOR, RIGHT-FRONT QUARTER PANEL, ETC. TWO ADDITIONAL BURN MARKS ARE CLEARLY PRESENT ON THE TRUNK LID LIP AND TRUNK SURFACE AS WELL. THESE SWIRL MARKS RANGE IN DIAMETER FROM A FEW INCHES TO MORE THAN A FOOT. THOUSANDS OF FOREIGN METALLIC PARTICLES ARE IRREPARABLY EMBEDDED INTO PAINT ALONG ALL LOWER BODY PANELS. A SMALL TEST AREA OF THE DAMAGED SURFACE WAS TREATED WITH A CLEAR COAT-SAFE POLISH, YET DEMONSTRATED NO VISIBLE IMPROVEMENT AS A RESULT.

PAINT FLAKING AND THE BUFFING MARKS APPEAR ON HOOD AND FENDERS THE HOODS SHAKES SIDE TO SIDE AND THE TRIM IS COMING APART AROUND THE SIDE WINDOWS THE FRONTEND MAKES NOIES AT SLOW SPEEDS LIKE SOMTHING IS NOT PUT TOGEATHER OR THEY FORGOT TO TIGHEN THE NUTS

I HAVE HAD 17 WARRANTY REPAIR ITEMS. OVERDRIVE PROBLEM ON MARCH 24. VALVE BODY AND TEMP SENSOR REPLACE. CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR 24 DAYS. PURCHASED NEW ON FEB. 8, CAR IS CURRENTLY IN ARBRITATION. I HAVE ASKED FOR A BUY BACK. DEALER REFUSES TO FIX LOOSE CARPET IN REAR FLOOR.

EVERY TIME I'VE STARTED IT SINCE I OWNED IT, ITS SMOKED EVERY TIME.I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SMOKE IS FROM BUT GOES AWAY ABOUT 10-15 SECONDS OF RUNNING.

ALMOST ALL DOMESTIC MANUFACTURERS OF PASSENGER CARS MAKE THEM SO THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSES FARTHER THAN THE ACCELERATOR. THIS IS VERY LIKELY THE REASON FOR MOST "UNINTENDED" ACCELERATION INCIDENTS. IN MY OWN CASE IT INVOLVES A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. IF YOU ACCIDENTLY DEPRESS BOTH AT THE SAME TIME, WHICH WITH A LARGE FOOT IS EASY TO DO, THE BRAKES WILL NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE. WHEN I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER I WAS TOLD THAT ALL VEHICLES OF THE SAME PLATFORM DO THE SAME THING. I CAN EASILY SEE WHERE THIS WOULD LEAD TO SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES WHEN AN ELDERLY PERSON HAS THE SAME EXPERIENCE AND THEY PANIC AND ARE AFRAID TO RELEASE THE BRAKE. AS WE SEE MORE AND MORE INCIDENTS OF "UNINTENDED ACCERALTION" KILL AND MAME MORE AND MORE PEOPLE PERHAPS IT'S NOT UNUSUAL BUT THE NORM.*AK

THE CONSUMER STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE ON IT'S OWN. DEALER NOTIFIED. *PH WHEN THE CONSUMER ACTIVATED AND SET THE SPEED CONTROL, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT REMAIN AT THE SET SPEED. THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN AND SHOWED NO SIGN OF DECELERATION TO RESUME. THE DEALER FINALLY RECTIFIED THE PROBLEM. *SCC *JB

THIS VEHICLE PURCHASED IN JUNE 2003 HAS HAD 6 ALIGNMENTS (THE FIRST AT ABOUT 500 MILES) AND THE STEERING RACK REPLACED ALL BEFORE 3100 MILES BECAUSE OF A CONSTANT PULL TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER HAS INFORMED ME THAT I AM NO LONGER ENTITLED TO A "COURTESY" ALIGNMENT. RF TOE IN HAS DRIFTED .8 DEGREES IN 1 WEEK'S TIME AND LF CAMBER 1.3 IN SAME TIME. WILL BE ENTERING LEMON LAW PROCEEDINGS. ADDITIONALLY THE FIT AND FINISH HAS LEFT MUCH TO BE DESIRED, HAVE HAD REAR "PACKAGE" CARRIER, FR HEAD LIGHT, WINDOW MOLDINGS, AIRBAG COVERS AND OTHER TRIM ITEMS REPLACED.*AK

INSUFFICIENT FRONT END ALIGNMENT PROCEDURES TO ACCOMMODATE LACK OF APPROPRIATE ALIGNMENT EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO HANDLE THE 2003 MERCURY MARAUDER WHEELS. AS SUCH, I DID NOT FIND OUT MY ALIGNMENT WAS OUT ON MY NEW MARAUDER UNTIL THE TIRES HAD WORN OFF THE INSIDE CORNER TREAD AND WAS NOTICED BY THE MERCURY TECHNICIAN. I HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW SET OF TIRES AT 13,182 MILES AND THEN LOCATE A NON-MERCURY DEALER WHO HAD THE CLIPS NECESSARY TO ATTACH TO THE MARAUDER WHEELS TO ACCOMMODATE ALIGNMENT. OWNERS SHOULD BE AWARE TO CHECK ALIGNMENT PROACTIVELY ON THEIR VEHICLES IF NOT PROACTIVELY CHECKED OR REQUESTED TO BE CHECKED BY THEIR DEALER SERVICE GROUPS. *PH